The Secret Stars by Joseph Slate

This book takes place the night of the Three Kings (Christmas). Pepe and Sila are worried that the Three Kings won't come to their house to deliver presents because there aren't any stars out to guide them. Pepe and Sila's grandmother fly them around to see all the "stars" that are there to guide the Three Kings.

I like this book because of the culture that it portrays and how kids of other cultures can relate to it. The night of the Three Kings is like Christmas but instead of Santa coming to give presents, the Three Kings come. The children leave out hay for the Three Kings' horses and figs for the Kings themselves to eat. They also leave their shoes out for the Three Kings to fill with candy. This is similar to the cookies and milk for Santa, the carrots for the reindeer, and the stockings for candy. Children who celebrate the night of the Three Kings can feel connected to this story and may feel proud to show their culture to other students. Children from the mainstream culture can draw connections to their own culture and see that the "other kids" aren't very different at all. This may be a great book for an ESL classroom. A student that celebrates the night of the Three Kings may find it fun and interesting to read about. Since it is a children's book, it is a great tool for an ESL student since the language won't be that difficult and the material can be related.

The illustrator, Felipe Davalos, did a great job of showing the culture through his drawings. The book says that this book is for kids ages 4-8 but it can definitely be read to younger children and older children who are learning more about their culture may find this book enjoyable.